Wings of the Wicked - By Courtney Allison Moulton Page 0,41

know you love these parties and I don’t mind going with you. I prefer being with you. But I hate it when you make me dress up for them. That’s just not me.”

I stepped toward him and ran my hand through his hair, something that I knew calmed him—and me. He closed his eyes, and butterflies danced through my belly. “I’m sorry. I just really like to torture you.”

He opened his green eyes to meet mine, but he didn’t respond. This was the first time I’d really looked into his face since the night he told me he’d slept with Ava. I tried so hard not to think about her, and about Will’s hands on her the way I wanted them on me, but the longer my gaze lingered on his, the more the vise around my heart tightened. I felt my lip quiver once and I tightened my jaw immediately, but it was too late. He caught the break in my expression and a look of worry passed across his face.

“Are you ready?” I asked, wheeling away from him before I let a tear come.

He let out a tired breath. “Yeah.”

Josie Newport’s parents had an obscene amount of money, and their house was gorgeous. Since they were always out of town and the housekeepers let her do just about whatever she wanted, her parties were amazing. Josie and I had been close when we were little because our moms were friends, but as the years went by, Josie’s mom became more interested in pricey vacations and making sure her husband’s wandering eye didn’t turn into wandering hands and other wandering whatnots. Josie was a sweetheart, though, and my friends and I got invited to her parties.

I strolled up the plowed drive in my four-inch heels with Will trailing behind me. The line of parked cars stretched all the way down the drive to the gatehouse by the main road. Before I even entered the mansion, I could hear the music thumping. I glanced back at Will, who met my gaze after he finished surveying the snow-covered lawn. I gave him a reassuring smile.

I raised my hand to knock, but the butler opened the door at just that moment. The walls of Josie’s grand foyer were draped with textured red cloth, and bright red light streamed up from the floor. We followed the red drapes through a vast corridor where they were blown by a wind machine. They looked gorgeous clouding in the wind with the red floor lights dancing against the cloth.

The corridor opened up to the banquet hall—which was a lot more like a ballroom—and I smiled wide when I saw practically the entire senior class dancing, all wearing red or black as required. More drapes hung from a chandelier in the center of the room and extended to the walls. White lights hung from the ceiling like stars, and the DJ booth at the front of the long room glittered with white and red lights.

Knowing Will wouldn’t dance with me, I looked around at the many faces in hopes that I’d spot Kate. I told Will that I’d be right back and pushed my way through the sea of red and black but didn’t find her anywhere. Doubling back, I looked for Will and scowled. He already had some girl on him, running her mouth, and he looked entirely bored.

When I walked up to them, the girl gave me a dirty look. I just rolled my eyes and grabbed Will’s arm before dragging him off, despite her protest.

“I can’t take you anywhere, can I?”

I grumbled. “I was waiting for you to come back,” he replied. “I didn’t move.”

I sighed. “I’m still looking for Kate, so try not to get picked up while I’m gone, all right?”

He gave me a puzzled look. How anyone could be that clueless was beyond me. “She’s right there,” he said, looking over my shoulder.

I followed his gaze. Sure enough, Kate stomped toward us like a supermodel on the catwalk, wearing a bubble cocktail dress made of gleaming white satin.

“The invitation said black or red only,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “What happened to the dress you tried on?”

“I don’t like to blend in,” she said dismissively. She gave me a wide smile. “Your dress looks gorgeous on you. Doesn’t she look gorgeous, Will?” She stared at him expectantly.

“Always,” he said.

Kate grinned with approval. She looked around and waved at someone across the room. Marcus. He sauntered over to us wearing a deep-red